An End To The Bromfield Hall Affair
by rankamateur
Summary: What happened after the flashbulbs stopped?


An End To The Bromfield Hall Affair  
  
by rankamateur  
  
Affair At Bromfield Hall was written by Juanita Bartlett  
  
Scarecrow and Mrs. King belong to Warner Bros. and Shoot The Moon Enterprises, Ltd.  
  
What happened after the flashing stopped?  
  
-----------------  
  
As she and Lee tried to hide each other's face from the flash bulbs, Amanda couldn't believe it! The tenacity of the paparazzi who fed the insatiable appetite of the British tabloids for supposedly scandalous pictures was - incredible.  
Lord Bromfield quickly helped her into the car, while Lee made a dash for the driver's side. As soon as he could see that his guests were safely seated in the Jaguar, His Lordship ran up the steps and into the privacy of the Hall.  
  
Lee took off down the long driveway at a speed that would have been more appropriate on the Autobahn! After he was sure that none of the cars around them contained photographers, he slowed to something closer to the legal limit. Amanda let out a great sigh of relief.  
  
"Sorry," he smiled, "didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to put some distance between us and those jerks! I promised you no more publicity and I'm gonna keep my word."  
  
"OK. I'm glad you got away from them, but I *will* feel a little more relaxed if you keep it under ninety miles an hour." She turned her face towards the window.  
  
"Amanda.....oh." Lee looked over and saw the smile on her face and realized she was kidding. "I will keep it under ninety the rest of the way...unless of course they catch us and then....I think this car can do about two hundred."  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
"Don't worry, that's two hundred *kilometers* per hour. That's only about a hundred and twenty to us."  
  
"Lee - don't you dare!"  
  
They both laughed. The ride back to London was most enjoyable.  
  
-----  
  
'Wow,' Amanda thought, 'dinner out. Besides getting to wear the evening gown I brought, I'm goin' get to wear the cocktail dress too. This is turning out to be a really nice assignment.'  
  
The dress was a delicate shade of pink that complimented her dark eyes. It also showed off her slim figure to good advantage.  
  
At the appointed time Lee knocked on the door of her hotel room. And was enchanted by the vision that opened the door.  
  
"Oh..ahh, are you ready?" he asked unnecessarily, since Amanda was standing there with her coat and evening purse in her hand.  
  
"Sure. Let's go," she smiled a bit shyly at his frankly admiring gaze.  
  
Lee extended his arm to her and they started off down the hall to the elevator.  
  
--------------------------------------  
  
Their destination proved to be an elegant restaurant located in one of those very posh private clubs.  
  
"How did you manage it?" Amanda asked in a hushed tone as she took in the surroundings.  
  
The room was beautifully decorated. The tablecloths and napkins were fine linen, the goblets were Waterford crystal, the dishes were delicate china, trimmed in gold.  
  
"Well, when their guys come to DC we take care of them and when we come to London, our British counterparts see to it that we have a good time too."  
  
"Oh. Sounds like a nice arrangement, she observed before turning her attention to the menu, which the waiter had just handed her. "Oh my gosh, did you see the prices? They're all in pounds. How do you know how much anything is?"  
  
"Amanda, just order whatever you want and forget about the prices. You saved my life out there at Bromfield Hall, remember? Just consider this a thank you. And I think my life is worth the amount of anything on this menu - at least to me."  
  
"To me too," she said softly. "I was glad I was there."  
  
"So was I......" They sat gazing into each other's eyes, forgetting where they were and who they were. The spell and the contact were broken abruptly by the waiter's voice, asking if they were ready to order.  
  
"Ahh, Amanda...are you ready?" Lee asked in a rather shaky voice.  
  
She nodded affirmatively and after a few moments hesitation, began to make her selections.  
  
As dinner progressed they both felt a nice, warm glow... the candlelight........the wine...........the company.  
  
They had been chatting about nothing in particular. Lee brought up a couple of the cases they had worked on in Europe. He even admitted how much help Amanda had been.  
  
Finishing the last bite of his meal, he smiled at his companion and continued the conversation, "You're very good at reading people."  
  
"Oh," Amanda blushed becomingly, "I don't know about that." 'I can't seem to read the one person I'd *like* to read,' she thought a little sadly.  
  
"No, really, you are. You seem to have been right about Lady Bromfield not loving her husband. She *was* having an affair with Geoffrey Douglas-Wood."  
  
"Well, she just didn't act like she loved him," Amanda started.  
  
"Yeah," Lee cut in, "I know your fascinating theories about....relationships..." his voice trailed off. He wasn't sure he wanted to pursue that subject since he wasn't sure exactly where it might lead.  
  
During the next few minutes of somewhat awkward silence, Amanda idly fingered her wineglass. Finally she looked up at Lee. "I hope they work it out. He's obviously so much in love with her. I'm sure it would break his heart if they couldn't save their marriage."  
  
Lee had a feeling that she might be talking about more than the Bromfield's marriage - maybe she was thinking of her own. He was positive that she didn't deserve all the blame for whatever happened between her and her ex-husband. And he certainly didn't want Joe King intruding on the evening - which had been almost perfect so far.   
He changed the subject. "I was thinking, you not only saved my life by pushing me out of the way of that big pot, but when you overheard Douglas-Wood and Errol Pridemore in the library, plotting to kill me - well, kill us - that forced them into the open. It forced them into running, instead of coming after me - I mean after us."  
  
"Oh," she said in a teasing tone, "you deserve credit for that. If you hadn't been trying to.... what was it...get me out of your hair...I wouldn't have been in the library to overhear them."  
  
"Amanda," looking thoroughly chagrined, he reached across the table and took her hand, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean it exactly that way. I just didn't want you in harms way. You know I couldn't....I can't....I don't....want you to get hurt." 'Boy, first the window dressing remark and now this. When will I ever learn,' he berated himself silently.  
  
"I know, Lee," she removed her hand from his. "Even though I wound up in a small room with two cold blooded killers - it worked out OK. I was safe." Amanda smiled. She absently folded and unfolded her napkin.  
  
Lee cringed. "You're tryin' to tell me something here, aren't you?"  
  
"No, no," she said innocently. "I'm just sayin' that it worked out and I was safe. Actually, I guess I should be grateful to Mr. Douglas-Wood."  
  
"Grateful? Why?" Lee looked a bit confused.  
  
"Well, the reason he wanted to kill me too, is because he thought I was just as much an agent as you - that's what he said." She had a very self-satisfied expression, as she quoted Mr. Douglas-Wood.  
  
"That doesn't sound like much of a reason to be grateful to him," Lee grumbled.  
  
"Hum, maybe not, but..."  
  
"Amandah!" he interrupted. "Look, however you got there, you were in the right place at the right time and I probably couldn't have solved this one without you."  
  
"Probably couldn't have solved...," she shook her head in disbelief.  
  
"OK, OK," He threw up his hands in surrender. "I *definitely* couldn't have. Satisfied?"  
  
"Yeah," she smiled sweetly. She was always gracious in victory. "I'm glad I could help. That's what I'm here for."  
  
She raised her glass in a little salute. Lee touched his glass to hers and they each drank down the last of their wine.  
  
------------------------------------  
  
They rode up in the elevator in silence. Each seemingly deep in their own thoughts. When they reached the door to Amanda's room, she extended her hand. "Thanks Lee. I really had a wonderful time."  
  
Instead of shaking her hand, Lee took it in both of his and stood there, looking at her, an enigmatic little smile playing across his lips.  
  
Amanda looked down, then back up at his face and into his eyes, wondering just what he had in mind.....  
  
"Scuse me."  
  
They both jumped at the sound of the maid's voice.  
  
"Would you like me to turn your bed down now, Madam?"  
  
"Uhh, sure, Amanda stammered, "go ahead." She stepped aside and allowed the woman access to the door.  
  
"Well," Lee cleared his throat in that way Amanda had come to recognize as indicating he was nervous about something - not about being with her, of course - she was sure of that.  
  
"I guess I'd better be going," he looked towards the ceiling, at nothing in particular.  
  
"Yeah," she looked down the hall, at nothing in particular.  
  
"We have an early flight," they said almost at the same time, and then laughed.  
  
"Good night Amanda. Sleep well."  
  
"Good night Lee. And - thanks again."  
  
"The pleasure was all mine," he smiled.  
  
'Oh, not *all* yours,' she smiled back at him. "See you in the morning."  
  
end 


End file.
